Results 35,441-35,460 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 was published by the Government on 15 September, 2020. Ireland is currently at Level 5 of the Plan and under this level the public health risk means that we are all being asked to stay at home, with certain exceptions. Information on the public health measures in currently in place in relation to the different Levels can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 409 together. I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding student accommodation this year due to financial pressures and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The USI Education for All Campaign covers a wide range of issues including public financing of higher education and student accommodation on which I as Minister and my Department are actively engaging with USI and relevant stakeholders in higher education. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with sectoral representatives including the USI to address the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 399 together. The National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS) was published in 2017 and is designed to support the delivery of an increased level of supply of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) by reducing planning barriers for public and private sector developers of student accommodation and seeking to address financing barriers for our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The administration of the vaccine and prioritisation of vulnerable or essential groups is a matter for the Health Service Executive. As the Deputy will be aware, the Strategy for the vaccine was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and Department of Health, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has responsibility to develop, promote and maintain the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ is a framework through which learning achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way. Qualifications are organised within the NFQ based on their level of knowledge, skill and competence on a scale from 1-10. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 404 together. In considering the issue of fees, it is important to note that the State currently provides very substantial financial support to undergraduate students in higher education towards the cost of their studies. This support has played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. What was previously...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2020. In the context of scarce resources, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In considering this issue, it is important to note that the State currently provides very substantial financial support to undergraduate students in higher education towards the cost of their studies. This support has played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. What was previously the preserve of a relatively small proportion of the school leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: SFI Research Centres are hosted at one Higher Education Institute. The host institute has responsibility for the administration of the award. However, each Centre has a number of academic partners with researchers at those partner institutes heavily involved in the Centre’s research. The budget assigned to the central award flows to the relevant partner Universities/Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government is providing financial assistance in this academic year 2020/21 to all SUSI eligible students and to EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in the state. Under this initiative students who avail of the SUSI grant will receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware a Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Working Group was established in March 2017. The key objective of this group was to develop a plan to develop a sustainable future for the Mayo Campus arising from concerns about the financial viability of the campus. As recently highlighted by GMIT the creation of a Technological University by the Connaught Ulster...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The DARE scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) who set the policy criteria for the scheme. Admissions under the DARE scheme are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the scheme, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places. Applications to the scheme are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: It is important to note that student participation in the Erasmus+ Programme does not depend on the nationality of the student, but on the institution in which the student is registered. Education institutions must hold the Erasmus Mobility Charter, which allows them to partner with each other. Once there is an Inter-institutional agreement between the 'sending' and 'host' institution, it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In considering this issue, it is important to note that the State currently provides very substantial financial support to undergraduate students in higher education towards the cost of their studies. This support has played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. What was previously the preserve of a relatively small proportion of the school leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Eduroam is a service provided by HEAnet, the Education Sectors Shared Service provider of ICT Services including the provision of the Education and Research Network. The Eduroam service would benefit all students especially with the increasing move to online education and dependence on broadband accessibility. Eduroam is a mature solution across Irish higher education where the large...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Reform (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on the behalf of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. It is not within my remit to instruct the HEIs in relation to criteria for admission to higher education. My officials have met with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation's final report was published on 12 January 2021 by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Recommendation no. 38 of the report states that ‘a number of scholarships should be created for further research in memory of all the children who died, with preference given to children from disadvantaged...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The recent Government's decision on facilitating continued access to Erasmus mobilities is focused on higher education students in Northern Ireland institutions. However I have asked my officials to explore the issues regarding students pursuing further education programmes in Northern Ireland and to report to me shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (21 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy is aware, Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is one of the pathways to study undergraduate medicine. One of the recommendations of the Fottrell report (2006) was the introduction of a new graduate entry medicine programme (GEM). Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. In...